26 Mar 2010

I often hold lectures for our clients about the communications strategies behind Obama's presidential campaign. And inevitably the question comes up, "yes, he was so succesful then, but how is he doing NOW???" (often said with equal parts sarcasm and scepticism.) Normally, I try to remain neutral on the subject of Obama's current performance. My area of expertise, after all, is campaign strategy and media relations, not the day-to-day work of governing in Washington.

And besides, I live in Sweden now. Even with my American passport, it's not always easy to understand the sudden shifts of public opinion in my homeland. Case in point: the Tea Party Movement.

Still, I couldn't help but get excited about Obama's recent victory with the health care bill. The same principles that helped him win his election campaign - from engaging new groups to employing social media - were used in this fight. It just goes to show that careful preparation and a well thought out communications plan can make all the difference, whether you're running a campaign or running a country. /Elizabeth

Elizabeth Walentin is JG's in-house political communications expert. She has a master's degree in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and has worked for the Obama campaign in Virginia as well as Howard Dean's campaign in South Carolina.

1 comment:

Colm
said...

And of course it also proves that its not enough to finish the communication when the campaign finishes. In many ways, it's just the start of the communications.For Obama, winning an election was just the beginning but every piece of legislation that his administration will try to push through will require carefully planned communications efforts.